arch. Cristian Santandreu UTERMARK

The author of the only European project awarded in 2014 in USA by the International Interior Design Association, IIDA, within the most important international competition dedicated to interior architects and designers.

With offices in Madrid, Majorca and Valladolid, A2arquirectos studio undertakes architecture, urban planning, interior design, furniture design, in both renovation and new projects. It specializes in projects related to the tourist sector.

Built in 1967, the small Hotel Castell del Hams went through subtle improvements and extensions over time. The last of the alterations intend to celebrate the daylight and the location’s idyllic bond with nature, turning the accommodation into much more than just a holiday destination. The work centred on replacing the covering and enclosure of the existing heated pool and to create an adjacent spa to supplement it. During development, the project was split into two independent zones, each designed to suit its own specific purpose. Adorned with a series of square openings for windows in the perimeter walls and roof, illumination is allowed to flood into the main area of the indoor deck and water’s surface. The aquatic facility was originally connected to what was once the rear of the hotel and was confined to a space that was previously wasted. The challenge of the project was both to prevent new areas from being used as secondary features and to ensure the use of spaces along the sunniest facade.

The Spanish studio A2arquitectos was commissioned to replace the cover of an existing heated pool and add a new spa next to it, while making better use of unused spaces in between. The new pool shelter is punctuated with square openings, allowing natural light to flood inside. The spa intended for skin treatments and relaxation is located to give the visitors the best views of the surrounding landscape and is also filled with light in all rooms where light is needed. The placement of the two zones makes them meet at a single point where one faces the other, so that they are interlinked. This gives access to both through the hotel lobby, which is connected to the main pool area.